Wednesday, February 28, 2018

The winners of the 2017 Poppies have been revealed over at MWCToys.com and, as you probably know, your old pal Barbecue17 is one of the judges. Check out the results and see how we voted! Agree? Disagree? Want to fight about it? Leave a comment below!

I'm slowly making my way through the Clayface series of Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse line and I'm excited to finally be checking out one of the newest additions to the Justice League roster: Green Lantern Jessica Cruz! Jessica Cruz is a relatively new character to the DC Universe, first appearing in 2014, but she has quickly made her way to membership on the main Justice League team as one of the eight members of the initial Rebirth era team. DC Collectibles had plans to introduce Jessica Cruz into their DC Icons line but it sounds like there may have been some behind the scenes conflict between DC Collectibles and Mattel over licensing issues since Mattel was also planing a Jessica Cruz figure. While DC Collectibles did not get the opportunity to release Cruz, Mattel's version is now available for purchase. Let's see how they did after the break...

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Since I reviewed Pack A from Super7's Robotech M.U.S.C.L.E. line I have actually started watching some episodes of Robotech on Netflix. I'm two episodes in so far and I'm definitely digging it. It's nice to get some more context for these little guys besides vague memories of the Matchbox toyline of the 80s and Toonami reruns. Overall I'm quite happy with this series of figures as the color is definitely fairly M.U.S.C.L.E.ish, the plastic is decent (still a bit too rubbery compared to vintage M.U.S.C.L.E.), and the sculpts are quite crisp. Plus, even if you don't know who these characters are you can still always have fun with robots and mechs. Let's take a look at Pack B (which contains Roy Fokker, a VF-1J, and the SDF-1) after the break...

Monday, February 26, 2018

*This podcast originally aired on February 21st 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In this week's edition of The Confirmed Epic Podcast we review the 5th installment in the Diehard Franchise: A Good Day to Diehard directed by John Moore.As always we get into the epic news items of the week: Star Wars Episode 7 speculation, Guardians of the Galaxy casting rumors, and Sony finally revealing the PS4.We also get into what we have been checking out: The Lethal Weapon film franchise, Marvel Now Uncanny X-men #1, Lego mystery figures, AMC's Comic Book men season 2 premiere, and Jerry's descent into Bronie madness.

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell You can buy our Merch. and support the show by going to teepublic.com/user/thereelbradbellDon't forget to follow us on Instagram @confirmedepicpodcast

Sunday, February 25, 2018

After looking at both the newest series of figures from Star Wars: The Black Series and the Toy Fair 2018 reveals it is clear that Hasbro has really upped their game. While Hasbro has had some real difficulties with the Star Wars license over the past few years they seem to be back on track: The Vintage Collection is returning, they're offering up a crowd-funded vehicle/playset of Jabba the Hutt's sail barge (The Khetanna), and the Black Series offerings look better than ever thanks to the adoption of the new face-printing technology that the Marvel Legends line has been using for a year or so. DJ is part of a small series of figures which also includes Rey (Island Journey) and a revised version of the HasCon Captain Rex figure. So, what do you think about DJ? I think DJ (played by Benicio del Toro) is a fascinating character that was stuck into the fairly pointless Canto Bight storyline and thus didn't feel like he was of much consequence. As a slicer (the Star Wars version of a hacker), he seems like the kind of scoundrel that would typically be pretty popular with Star Wars fans but I honestly don't see much talk about DJ. Hopefully we'll see the character again in either Episode IX or a book, (he's currently in a comic, too) and get more of a chance to appreciate him. Let's check out the figure and see how it fairs after the break, shall we?

Saturday, February 24, 2018

As a DC fan I really do enjoy collecting Mattel's DC Comics Multiverse
line. I've been a fan of their DC efforts since the Batman and Superman
dominated DC Superheroes series (which predated DC Universe Classics)
and I've liked most of what they've produced in the 6-inch scale. This
is the second year I'm doing a top 10 (and bottom 5) for Multiverse, and
you can check out last year's entry here. I will admit that DC Comics
Multiverse was a mixed bag during its first year and the second year
might still be considered a mixed bag. Mattel has definitely given us a
fairly diverse selection of characters from comics, television, and
movies, along with offering quite a few Collect & Connect figures
and accessories. Their distribution is still a mixed bag, though, and the quality is uneven, particularly on movie lines;
while the Wonder Woman movie line was mostly solid the Justice League
line-up was pretty terrible. The articulation can be really uneven on
these, too. It's baffling that with Mattel spending the time and money
to give so many characters unique sculpts they don't at least try to
make sure that the articulation is decent and functional. The comic
based figures are much better and this definitely seems to be the area
where Mattel is improving the most. The early 2018 releases (which I just got in the mail on Thursday!) look good and feel like they would easily
all make the top 10 if compared against the 2017 lineup. Toy Fair
2018 left me cautiously optimistic as it seems like Mattel is
definitely releasing some solid characters with nice sculpts although
still not bumping up the articulation to modern standards. Let's take a moment to celebrate the good stuff from this line-up
in 2017, though starting with the top 10 figures of the year. Each entry is left with a quote from my original review, just FYI. The countdown begins after
the break...

On Valentine's Day Super7 released a few sets of red minifigures to celebrate. I've already reviewed the 3-pack of Iron Maiden M.U.S.C.L.E. figures and now I'm checking out Pack A of The Worst M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. I've already reviewed these same three figures cast in purple but now I get Batula, Robot Reaper, and the Gas Phantom cast in a lovely blood red. What a way to celebrate Valentine's Day, huh? This is going to be a pretty quick review as I've already talked about these guys extensively but I do have a few pictures of the figures and the packaging after the break...

Friday, February 23, 2018

For years Batwoman has been one of my most desired action figures in any DC line. While DC Direct released one in 2007 as part of the 52 line it definitely doesn't fit in well with any of Mattel's DC Universe lines. I really expected to see Batwoman appear in DC Collectibles' New 52 line as well but she never materialized even though she had a solo title and was a part of the Batman family (yes, we got the incredible Bombshells Batwoman, but that doesn't count). Finally, to coincide with Mattel now going full steam ahead in offering DC Rebirth designs in the DC Comics Multiverse line, we have a true modern Batwoman action figure. Upon reading Batwoman at the beginning of the New 52 relaunch (which really was a true continuation of her pre-New 52 series) Kate Kane became one of my favorite comic characters. She's definitely in my top 10 overall and I'd probably put her book as one of the three strongest and most consistent of the New 52 as well. Now Batwoman both her own series in Rebirth and is huge part of the Detective Comics crew so Mattel has wisely given us a figure of her in the newest series which features a Clayface Collect & Connect figure. My Clayface series just arrived in the mail yesterday and I'm anxious to dive in and start things off with a look at Batwoman...

In the 85th edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell breakdown New York Toy Fair 2018, giving you their top picks from the show, and what to expect in collecting throughout 2018.As always we discuss the epic news items of the week (Batman Ninja Trailer, The Netflix Ryan Murphy Deal, Fangoria Magazine Returning, and the potential end of Paramount's Transformers Universe.)

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Over the next week or two I will be taking some time to check out Super7's newest series of M.U.S.C.L.E. figures: Robotech. Be forewarned that my knowledge of Robotech is extremely limited and consists of my memories of the Matchbox toyline from 1985 (most of the figures were the same size as G.I. Joes and I ended up with quite a few of them because they were heavily discounted at some point) and my memories of Robotech being shown on Toonami when I was in high school. I definitely remember watching it, but certainly not every day which makes keeping up with a show like Robotech pretty tough. I'd love to give it a watch through but my guess is that you're not here to hear me muse about Robotech are you? Let's talk about the minifigures. The Robotech M.U.S.C.L.E.s are some of the best that Super7 has made. They're a bit more more rubbery than some of their best lines like Street Fighter II, The Worst, and Iron Maiden, but the sculpts are super crisp and probably as good as any other M.U.S.C.L.E.s except for Street Fighter II. The color is a bit brighter than your standard M.U.S.C.L.E. color but it
doesn't look bad and manages to avoid the waxy look of some of these
kind of lines. They're quite nice and since the line consists of so many mechs, robots, and fighting units, you should be able to enjoy them even if you have no knowledge of the series. Let's check out Pack A after the break...

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Today I'm back with another review of the second 5-pack of DC Nano Metalfigs that is new for 2018. It's called Pack B and includes three new characters (Lobo, Darkseid, and Bizarro), a new Batman, and a repacked Braniac. Braniac was the one figure I didn't pick up from last year's releases because he was only available in a 20-pack and by the time I learned of its existence I already owned the other 19 figures in the set so, personally, I am really glad he's included here! While not as many news outlets covered Jada Toys at Toy Fair 2018 by looking around I've learned that Jada showed off a ton of new DC Nano Metalfigs including the Atom, Ra's al Ghul, Scarecrow, a Rebirth Batman, a Cesar Romero Joker, a repainted Killer Croc, armored Lex Luthor, a repainted Wonder Woman, a Black and White Harley Quinn, Bane, Deadshot, Batman Beyond, a Tim Drake Robin, General Zod, more Justice League film heroes, and some Teen Titans Go Metalfigs. I'm super excited for these and I hope they continue cranking them out as fast as they can! Anyways, let's talk about who we have in hand right now, shall we? Let's tear into Pack B after the break...

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

One of my favorite toylines of last year was Jada Toys DC Nano Metalfigs. Jada Toys is starting off the new year strong by already putting out some more cool little diecast metal DC heroes and villains. As a fan of DC Comics and minifigures, there is no way that I could ever pass up this series. Plus, they cost about a dollar each. That's a crazy deal! DC Nano Metalfigs has excellent character selection which makes picking up these little wonders just so much fun. This set has an incredible roster of characters including Batman (I'm pretty sure every multi-pack has Batman), Black Canary, Batgirl, Catwoman, and The Riddler. That's some A-list level star power right there. Let's check them out after the break...

Monday, February 19, 2018

One of the hallmarks of a cool toyline is that it manages to get you interested in characters you otherwise have no interest in. Super7's M.U.S.C.L.E. revival is doing a great job because I just purchased a pack of minifigures based on the band Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie despite not being an Iron Maiden fan at all. Seriously, the only song of theirs I think I can even recall is "The Trooper" and that's because of Rock Band or Guitar Hero. This pack of three minifigures was released on Valentine's Day 2018 and features three different versions of Eddie molded in heart red plastic. Whether you're a fan of the band or you just like minifigures of a zombie/ skeleton guy these are a pretty cool little pickup. Learn more after the break...

This podcast originally aired on February 7th 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In the inaugural episode of the Confirmed Epic Podcast we review Bullet to the head starring Sly Stallone, and discuss our thoughts on the Epic News of the week such as: Phase 3 Marvel movie speculation, proposed Star Wars Spin off films in the works, and preview New York toy fair 2013. We also delve into what we have been checking out this week: Avengers #4, Superior Spider-man #2, Part 1 of The Dark Knight Returns animated film from DC, Ian Flemming James Bond novels, and the Theater by Raven Gregory, and Lego Valentines.Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell You can buy our Merch. and support the show by going to teepublic.com/user/thereelbradbellDon't forget to follow us on Instagram @confirmedepicpodcast

Here's another quick review of a microfigure from Hasbro's current Star Wars: Micro Force line: R2-D2. Remember, these little guys are released two to a pack in a blind bag for around $3 and every figure in the first series is simply a reissue of the figures from the older Fighter Pods figures. R2-D2 is one of the easiest figures to identify in the bag due to his unique size and shape. While there are lots of new, exciting Star Wars items that Hasbro and other companies have been showing off at New York Toy fair 2018, let's take a quick look at this little guy after the break...

Sunday, February 18, 2018

There is no bigger property/franchise in geekdom right now than the Marvel Cinematic Universe or perhaps ever! One could make the argument that the MCU is more popular now than Star Wars was at the end of 1970’s heading into the 1980’s. Beyond that the MCU has served to make being a geek mainstream; it is now cool to wear an Iron Man or Thor shirt were as before 2008 that would not have been the case. With the popularity of this franchise comes what some on the Internet would call a free pass from critics, and fan boys/girls alike. Often you see film’s like Ant-Man which was a good movie catapulted into great movie status, leaving one to question if this were not a MCU film would anyone care? Over the past few months, and even since the characters debut in 2016’s Civil War the hype for Black Panther has grown to unprecedented levels with the film currently setting at a 97% on rotten tomatoes, making it the most critically well received superhero film of all time with the film slated for a $210 million dollar opening weekend which would break February box-office records by leaps and bounds. So is Black Panther just the latest passenger on the vibranium fueled MCU hype train or is it the transcendent film many claim it to be? Find out after the break…*Mild Spoilers for Black Panther follow!

Anytime I find a Hot Wheels Batman vehicle in their standard line that costs around $1 I have to pick it up. Interestingly enough, I found a variant of some sort just a week or two ago. I was out at my local Walgreen's checking out toys and I noticed a Hot Wheels display. Rummaging through it to see if I could find any new Batman vehicles I was rewarded with a cool grey version of the BvS Batmobile. I was pretty sure I hadn't bought this one yet but, upon getting it home, I discovered I not only had already purchased it but I also reviews it in December. Well, kind of; this version is a dull gunmetal grey while the previous version I reviewed is a very dark metallic blue. While the overall set numbers are different (this one is 237/365 while the blue version is 329/365), the subset numbers are both 1/5. Weird, huh? Anyways, here's a quick peek at the BvS Batmobile variant after the break...

Recently I found a great deal on a set of three classic Star Wars Micro Machines vehicles I did not own. I even found them in the package still! Today I'm checking out Collection XV from the 1998 release of Star Wars Micro Machines. 1998 was pretty much the last hurrah for classic Micro Machines as in 1999 things went completely into The Phantom Menace mode. While there were some great vehicles and sets released in the Episode I product line, it wasn't the classic Original Trilogy stuff that Galoob was so gosh darn good at. Of course, this set isn't based on the Original Trilogy, either. Not exactly, anyways. This set features vehicles from the 1997 Special Editions! How cool is that? While they've since been superseded by the 2004 DVD releases and the 2011 Blu-ray releases, the release of the 1997 Special Editions was such a huge event. I was in 7th grade when the Special Editions were released and, for me, it was my first chance to watch the films on the screen. There was a lot of merchandising support for the films which is why much of Galoob's 1998 new releases contained elements from those films. Let's check out Dash Rendar's Outrider and the V-35 Landspeeder from the Special Edition of A New Hope and the Tibanna Gas Refinery from The Empire Strikes Back after the break...

Saturday, February 17, 2018

For the past few years I've supplemented my 10 Favorite Toylines
and 10 Favorite Individual Toys with a list called Missing in Action.
The general premise of this list is to look at my list of last year's Top 10 Toylines and determine why some lines present then failed to
return on the current year's list. 2017's top 10 list had six toylines
returning from the 2016 list, meaning that four lines were dropped this
year. I do believe that's one of the highest retention rates for
toylines from one year to the next that I've had on my lists due to the
presence of longer running lines and continuing lines such as Star Wars: The
Black Series, the DC Collectible Designer Series, POP! Star Wars, Marvel
Legends, Super7's M.U.S.C.L.E. reboot, and Mattel's DC Multiverse
line. When looking at the lines that failed to show up again there are
typically three reasons why a line makes this list:

Missing in Action: This is a toyline that gets cancelled, ends, or just doesn't have any releases during the year.

Demoted:
Sometimes a toyline just gets outdone by others. This is less
reflective of the quality of the demoted line and more reflective of the
quality of the line that supplanted it.

Drop
in Quality: This is when a toyline has a severe drop in quality that
causes it to fall from grace. While most toylines get better as they go,
some do indeed get worse and worse due to cost cutting, mismanagement,
and quality control issues.

Let's take a look at the four lines that made the 2017 list after the break...

Today I'm checking out the second statue/ diorama from Hasbro's Star Wars: The Black Series Centerpiece line. I reviewed the Darth Vader Centerpiece statue a few days ago but, in case you missed that, the idea behind these small statues/ dioramas is that they are compatible with the 6 inch scaled Black Series figures. While Luke is mostly a statue, you can surround him with other Black Series figures such as Snowtroopers or the Wampa to create a scene for your display shelf. These were released on Force Friday 2017 and were met with a very lukewarm reception. I initially ignored these but after seeing them on sale at Best Buy a week or two ago I decided to snap them up. Luke is wearing his Snowspeeder pilot's outfit here, which makes this a version of the figure we have yet to see in the standard Black Series line. Let's take a closer look at Luke Skywalker after the break...

Friday, February 16, 2018

In the 84th edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell review the latest DC home video release: Batman Gotham by Gaslight.We also get into what we have been checking out (Batgirl Bronze Age Omnibus, Marvel 2in1: Fate of the Four, Old Man Hawkeye #1) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week (Joaquin Phoenix possibly playing the Joker, A Michael Bay Lobo film, David S. Goyer leaving the Masters of the Universe film, and the Venom Poster/Trailer).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Thursday, February 15, 2018

This past weekend I was out and about and stumbled across this very cool Medical Droid POP! vinyl from POP! Star Wars by Funko. Wait...Medical Droid? Yup, Funko is calling this guy a Medical Droid rather than the more familiar name 2-1B. Interestingly, the 2-1B from The Empire Strikes Back is both a 2-1B model of surgical droid with the designation of 2-1B, so calling this guy 2-1B would have been correct if it were referring to the specific droid we're most familiar with or to the model in general. Considering that 2-1B had a vintage Kenner figure, I'm really surprised that he didn't get his vintage name. Anyways, I'm not going to get too hung up on that but just know I'm calling him 2-1B. I've always liked 2-1B; he's a cool model with a great color scheme. Plus, he treated Luke Skywalker's after a nasty Wampa attack, so that's something too. Oh, and gave Luke a new hand. Dang, 2-1B. You're a boss! Let's check this guy out after the break...

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

One thing I've wanted to do for a few months now is to do a series of reviews on a specific character, series, or theme and then release one review of an action figure of the character during each Saturday in the month. I've decided that for the first month, March 2018, I'll hold a vote: Simply leave a comment below naming which of the following characters you'd like to see have a month long review series on ActionFigureBarbecue.com!

Here are the options:

Bane- It's been quite a few years since there was a lot of Bane product out on shelves. I'd definitely try to take a look at a variety of Bane offerings from over the years. He's an interesting character with some crazy toys, so why not?

Wonder Woman- I've reviewed a ton of Wonder Woman figures over the past year or so and she's so close to having enough reviews on the site for me to give her her own personal review archive.

Han Solo- With Solo: A Star Wars Story on the horizon this seems like the perfect time to look back at some of the most interesting Han Solo figures from the past.

Indiana Jones - Indy is one of my favorite film characters (possibly my favorite) and yet I haven't reviewed much Indy product on the site due to there not being much over the past decade. Let's fix that and check out some various versions of Dr. Jones.

Lara Croft- With the new Tomb Raider on the horizon this is a great time to check out Lara Croft's long action figure history. Tomb Raider came out in 1996 when I was in Middle School and I've always had an affinity for Ms. Croft.

Deadpool- There aren't many Marvel characters that I could review multiple versions of over a month. Deadpool is one of those. I still have my childhood Toy Biz Deadpool and, with the impending Deadpool 2, this seems like a great time to check him out.

Lando Calrissian- Let's throw Lando in here, too. You know you like scoundrels!

While we're not getting any Solo: A Star Wars story toys yet that doesn't mean that I'm going to hold off on reviewing Star Wars toys. There are still plenty of Star Wars toys, both old and new, that I'll be checking out over the coming months leading up to the release of the film. Today I'm checking out the Darth Vader diorama from the Star Wars: The Black Series Centerpiece line. Darth Vader is part of the pair of Centerpiece statues/ dioramas that were released on Force Friday 2017 to coincide with the release of the product from The Last Jedi. The idea behind these Centerpiece sets is that they are small dioramas with a dynamically posed (but non-articulated) statue that are in scale with the 6 inch figures from the Black Series. Essentially they're dioramas that you can pose your other figures around to make a cooler scene in your collection. I love the concept but these products had a few strikes against them when they were released. First, there was lots of other stuff that seemed moe exciting released at the same time. Second, at around $50 dollars they seemed a bit pricey for what you were getting. Lastly, while Hasbro went with solid character choices (Vader and Luke are always winners), they didn't necessarily pick items that went well in this format. A format like this would have worked great for a Han Solo in Carbonite display or for a sitting Emperor Palpatine with his throne room, figures that would have not fared as well in the standard Black Series line. The prices on these have dropped slowly over time and a week or two ago I took advantage of a Best Buy sale to order both Centerpiece sets for $20 each. Let's take a look at a fairly unique idea Hasbro tried out last year after the break...

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Last year Mattel quietly shipped Super Friends inspired versions of Batman and Green Lantern into stores. The end of the DC Universe Classics line had a number of Super Friends characters in it so these figures both tie into nostalgia and give figures like Apache Chief and El Dorado some other heroes to pal around with fighting the Legion of Doom! Recently Mattel has been shipping Suoper Friends version of Superman and Aquaman and I just had to pick up Aquaman. I might pick Superman up at some point (I kind of like the DCUC Super Powers Superman, so I don't feel overly compelled) but I knew I wanted Aquaman right away. There are definitely not as many Aquaman figures and the unique way that this Aquaman's costume is executed really works pretty well in person. I'm pretty confident that Aquaman and Superman only started shipping in 2018, so this makes him the first DC figure of 2018 I've reviewed. Crazy, huh? 2018 is the year of Aquaman! Let's check old good ol' Arthur Curry after the break...

Monday, February 12, 2018

Mezco has revealed their latest Toy Fair 2018 collectible, in the form of Sovereign Knight Batman. This latest Mezco version of Batman follows the companies Ascending Knight Batman, making it the second in the line of Mezco's career Batmen.Sovereign Knight is meant to represent a Batman who is becoming more established in his war on crime, so if Ascending Knight Batman is Batman Begins level experience, I guess this would make the Sovereign Knight more Dark Knight level Batman experience.Personally I love this figure, based on the promotional image it seems Mezco has done an elegant job of capturing Batman in the physical prime of his war on crime.Look for this figure to retail for around $85 with pre-orders hitting bigbadtoystore.com shortly after Toy Fair begins on February 17th.Let us know what you think of the latest Mezco Batman in the comments below, and stay tuned to the Confirmed Epic Podcast as we will recap Toy Fair 2018 in the upcoming 85th edition of the pod!

*This podcast originally aired Valentines Day 2013, and is part of our Retro Rewind initiative to publish our back catalog of episodes for our listeners!In the 2nd ever edition of the confirmed Epic podcast we review Hansel and Gretel Witch hunters, and discuss the Epic news items of the week such as New York Toy Fair, Ben Affleck Batman rumors, and more Amazing Spiderman villain speculation. We also delve into what we have been checking out this week: the return of Community, Lego history, TMNT classic collection volume 1, and the end of Scott Snyder’s nearly Epic Joker tale Death of the family.Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @thepicreview

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Recently Walgreens had a great sale on the Super Powers Micro-Figures from Gentle Giant Ltd. (99 cents each!) and I snatched up four of the five available (Batman was nowhere to be found but). The line was released in 2016 and consists of Batman, Robin, the Joker, the Flash, a Walgreen's exclusive Lex Luthor, and a SDCC 2016 exclusive 3-pack with Wonder Woman and Superman. I decided to review the Flash because as I've mentioned in another Flash related review, the Super Powers Flash was possibly the first DC Comics action figure I ever owned. That gives me a cool element of nostalgia when checking this guy out. Lots of folks have done Super Powers tribute lines but I think Gentle Giant's is the smallest (of course, they also do the giant figures, so they've got both the smallest and the largest covered). Let's take a look at this super small speedster after the break...

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Last month I reviewed the Young Justice Red Hood which I purchased from a vendor at the January 2018 Shelby Comic Con in Shelby, NC. I also picked up the Young Justice version of the Sportsmaster and I'm going to be reviewing him today because, let's be honest, how many opportunities will I have to review an action figure of the Sportsmaster? I just read the latest volume of the Rebirth Harley Quinn series (Volume 4: Surprise, Surprise) and there was an issue involving a robbery attempt by the Clock King and the Sportsmaster which reminded me to review this guy. This is Lawrence "Crusher" Crock, the original Sportsmaster who fought Alan Scott, Ted Grant, and who married the evil Huntress (not the Helena Bertenelli Huntress). He's also the father of Artemis, one of the Young Justice stars. Let's check him out after the break...

While Mezco's One:12 Collective line has been around since
the summer of 2015, things really started heating up for the line in early
2017. During February and March of 2017, within the span of about two
months, Mezco began released a number of excellent figures back to back
in both the Marvel and DC lines: Daredevil, Green Arrow, The Flash, The
Punisher, Zoom, and the Joker. This sudden influx of exceptional
versions of popular characters seemed to really ignite a passion for
this line that still seems to be going strong. The DC Universe side of
One:12 Collective turned out to be one of my favorite toylines from 2017
(if not my favorite) and here's a look at my 10 favorite figures from
the line released in 2017. I've went through and put these in order with
number 1 being my favorite. Check out the countdown out after the break...

Friday, February 9, 2018

In the 83rd edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed and The Reel Brad Bell to react to one of the most polarizing film trailers of all time: The Solo: A Star Wars Story teaser. We also get into what we have been checking out (Wish Upon, Strange Weather by Joe Hill) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week ( Cloverfield 3 drop, Mezco One:12 Black Panther announcement, Iron Man's bleeding edge armor in Infinity War).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

Black Panther already seems to be breaking records, giving Marvel Studios yet another hit. Arguably one of coolest characters in Civil War (and the character with the absolute coolest costume in the film), Black Panther has also been appearing pretty prominently in the toy aisles over the past month or so. Mavel started shipping the Black Panther movie based Marvel Legends figures in mid-December but I just recently picked this guy up at Walgreens. Between now and March 4th (I think) they have all of their Marvel Legends figures for $12.99. That's a steal on these! Even though I'm not a huge Marvel collector I absolutely love what Hasbro is doing with this line and I'll gladly pick up figures I like here and there as the mood strikes me. T'Challa is getting ready to step up into the upper echelons of popular culture and I couldn't be happier for him! Let's celebrate with a look at the new figure based on Chadwick Boseman's portrayal of Black Panther after the break...

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Let's take a quick break and check out another cool little minifugre from last year's Harley Quinn and the Gotham Girls series of HeroClix series: It's Dr. Harleen Quinzel! The Dr. Harleen Quinzel figure from DC Collectibles' Arkham Origins line is one of my favorite action figures ever and I'm also incredibly partial to the Lego version of Dr. Quinzel, too. I was delighted to pull Dr. Quinzel from the HeroClix booster I pulled! I've never played the game but I love the little minifigures. Harley is a simple paint variation of the "army builder" Asylum Doctor #11 although I imagine that it's moe accurate to say the Asylum Doctor is based on Harley's sculpt. Let's take a quick look at this minifigure after the break...

Today I'm checking out the second toy from the most recent Sith themed Smuggler's Bounty crate and it's a Mystery Mini of Darth Maul! I only have two Star Wars Mystery Minis thus far but I'm definitely OK with Funko continuing to include these as part of future crates. They're really cool little figures with a great aesthetic. I'm not a blind box fan so I'm reluctant to pay much to pick these up in stores but I'll definitely take the special ones that come my way. Here we are almost 19 years post The Phantom Menace and Darth Maul is still as cool as he ever was. While he rocked in Episode I I'm absolutely even more impressed by his great storyline in both Clone Wars and Rebels, along with a plethora of Star Wars novel and comic appearances. This figure takes us back to his first appearance though, so let's get nostalgic after the break...

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

So...what did everyone think of the Solo trailer? I'm pretty excited for it and really like what I see. It looks like it could be really fun with a mixture of new and old elements that create something special. I have definitely been apprehensive about the film but the trailers have me significantly more excited. So...when are the Solo: A Star Wars Story toys coming out? Probably April, it would seem. Today Hasbro released some 2017 end of the year remarks to investors and in it they mention that Star Wars did experience a drop in 2017. The Last Jedi line just didn't do as well as previous movie lines it seems and Hasbro is now suggesting that one of the reasons for that could be due to the movie product releases for the Disney films 3-4 months before the films release. It sounds like in the future we will see product releases closer to the actual film dates, so perhaps the April release of the Solo figures will set a trend for the future. Anyways, what does this have to do with a review of the Micro Force C-3PO? Not a darn thing, really. There's a bit of a lull in Star Wars product right now so I'm snagging these cool little minifigures based on the Fighter Pods minis from a few years back. Ready for a closer look at this mini protocol droid? Then join me after the break...

Today I'm checking out a minifigure I received in a recent Yowie. "What's a Yowie?" you ask? A Yowie is a chocolate candy shaped like a monster that has a little plastic container inside containing a minifigure. These minifigures typically take the form of various endangered animals and the Yowies who work to protect them. The Yowies are named characters who defend different habitats. My daughter and I are nuts about these and tend to pick them up if we're out and about with a sweet tooth. The chocolate is yummy and the minifigures are top notch. In a recent Yowie I discovered the first Grumkin figure I've ever seen and that's what I'm reviewing today: Spark. Apparently the Grumkins are the villainous little menaces who harm nature and Spark is essentially a firebug who doesn't care about destroying acres upon acres of forest land. He also looks like the kind of shady character who'd be hanging around a playground encouraging kids to smoke in an early 90s PSA. Let's check out Spark after the break...

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

*This podcast originally aired on March 8th 2013, and was the 1st appearance of one of our longtime early co-host, and friend's: Ms. Gena Wiltshire also known as Geener Beaner.As part of our ever expanding attempt to catalog, and somewhat remaster older episodes of The Confirmed Epic Podcast: The Epic Review proudly presents another edition of Retro Rewind.In this weeks installment of The Confirmed Epic Podcast we review Bryan Singer's latest film "Jack the Giant Slayer". We also discuss the Epic News items of the week such as: the Christopher Nolan Justice League rumors, and the latest new Epic trailer for Shane Black's Iron Man 3. We also delve into what we have been checking out this week:Tomb Raider survival edition for the Xbox 360, Richard T Broadwater's Legendary Monsters action figures, DC's He-man and Skeletor origin comics, the start of Marvel's latest blockbuster comics event Age of Ultron, Mass Affect comics, Knights of the Old Republic 2 for the original Xbox, and a new Marvel Select Venom figure so EPIC Jerry ordered it during the show.

Having a four year old and being a minifigure collector, there is definitely a heightened interest in various candies like Yowie and Kinder Joy in my home. Recently my daughter and I picked up some of the recent Kinder Surprise eggs that feature an Easter theme and we both ended up with this little yellow chick. This is definitely not the typical type of minifigure I collect but I figured I'd show it off for anyone interesed. Let's take a look at this little yellow chick after the break...

Today I'm taking another look at a figure from the pack of HeroClix boosters I picked up a week ago. This time it's the Sinestro Corps version of Scarecrow, a very cool minifigure/ game piece from the time when Scarecrow was deputized as a Yellow Lantern to fight against the Black Lanterns. Sinestro. Let's take a quick peak at him after the break...

Monday, February 5, 2018

If the rumors are correct the trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story should hit today. You know, less than four months before the film's release. My guess is that most folks outside those who eat, live, and breathe Star Wars don't even realize that the film is coming out. Unlike any of the previous films in recent memory Hasbro hasn't even set a release date for Solo product. What gives? That's not going to stop me from anticipating the release of the film, however, so between now and the film's May 25th release date all of my Star Wars reviews will be celebrating the Road to Solo! Starting things off today is a review of the Han Solo minifigure from the new Star Wars Micro Force blind bagged line. Each blind bag comes with two figures with the first series having 12 figures total. I picked up a pack of these last week and Han Solo in his Hoth Gear (blue, no doubt) was one of the two figures in my bag. Let's take a look at these cool little minis that have a striking resemblance to the Star Wars Fighter Pods figures from a few years back...

Sunday, February 4, 2018

The theme for the January Smuggler's Bounty crate was "Sith" and included in the set are some cool little items that feature various characters who wield the powers of the Dark Side of the Force. Today I'm checking out the POP! which is always one of my favorite things in each pack. If it weren't for the ridiculous amount of chase figures and exclusives Funko puts out I'd probably be all in on these as they arguably have a better character selection than Hasbro at the moment. Plus, they're just so darn cool. Count Dooku is one of my favorite prequel characters and while I feel he was quite underutilized he's absolutely perfect whenever he shows up. Christopher Lee absolutely adds a special gravitas to his scenes in Episodes II and III regardless of any other silliness that may be going on in the films. I do believe this is Dooku's first appearance as a Funko POP! vinyl so the release of this guy seems like a pretty big deal. Let's check him out more closely after the break...

Saturday, February 3, 2018

In the 82nd edition of the Confirmed Epic Podcast it's back to basics, as the legendary Jerry "Barbecue17" Reed returns to co-hosting duties with The Reel Brad Bell to discuss the 1995 Joel Schumacher classic: Batman Forever.We also get into what we have been checking out (Ingrid Goes West, Joshua Williamson's Flash, The Dark Knight Master Race) as well as discuss the epic news items of the week (Justice League No Justice, Brian Michale Bendis potentially writing Superman/Action Comics, Rise of the TMNT, the first sighting of Marvel Legends Infinity War toy line).

Let us know what you thought about the podcast in the comments below or follow and tweet us @thereelbradbell

For a few years I always selected my 10
favorite toylines from the past year but a year or two ago I realized
something: Not every great toy is part of a larger toyline or a toyline
that I fully collected. It seemed kind of unfair to never acknowledge
figures from smaller or one off lines. Heck, sometimes I purchased a
spectacular action figure from a line while I had no intention of buying
anything else. What to do? I finally decided to do a list of my Top 10
Favorite Individual Toys for the year. Who is eligible? Any toy released
in 2017. Who isn't eligible? Any toy from a line I picked in my 10 Favorite Toylines list. This one is a bit more eclectic as it captures
product from lines I may not fully collect but that still contain a
figure or two I wanted. Simple right? Let's check these out
alphabetically, after the break...